184. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between Prime Minister Macmillan in London and Secretary of State Dulles in Washington, July 16, 1958, 8 p.m.1
Mr. Macmillan called at 8 p.m. EDT. He said they were probably going in tonight; dared not risk a day’s delay. He wanted to confirm that we would:
- 1)
- Give moral support
- 2)
- Give support in UN
- 3)
- Give, if needed, logistic support
- 4)
- Would, in the light of events and after Congressional consultation, consider what combat potentiality we would supply if needed.
I confirmed the above. He said he would cable the final decision within an hour or two.
He said that he thought that our air display, planned for early tomorrow, should avoid Amman lest there be possible confusion in the two operations. I said we should call it off. He said no, only avoid Amman.
I then called the President and reported the foregoing to him. He concurred. However, we both said we had some reservations—which I had expressed earlier to Macmillan—as to the need of the operation and its desirability. I said, however, that the decision seemed such a close one that I had not felt like trying to impose that view. The President said that he felt this was correct.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Secret; Personal and Private; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Dulles.↩